The full moon shone brilliantly, its light spilling through the window and painting the twins’ nursery in ethereal shades. All around the room, the little animals that Nathan had so carefully painted seemed to be watching me, mocking me for what I had done and for what I was hiding.Meanwhile, the twins slept peacefully, their gentle breaths rhythmic and soothing. And yet, despite the tranquility, a storm of emotions raged within me. Nathan’s unwavering gaze, those piercing blue-green eyes, the color of the ocean right before a summer storm, filled with a combination of concern and suspicion, bore into me.It was becoming impossible to hold onto my secret. But if I could just hold on for a little longer, if I could just handle this on my own, maybe it would be better than admitting to Nathan what I had agreed upon with the witch.“Nothing happened in the mines,” I said, my voice shaking despite my attempt to keep it steady. “I just found the diamond and got out. It was frightening, an
The engine of the car roared to life, cutting through the thick silence that followed the tense altercation.As the forest rushed past me, the relentless onslaught of thoughts threatened to consume me. I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white, each bend and turn on the road echoing the chaos that raged within me.“Do you really believe she would willingly give up Aurora?” Steel, my wolf, questioned, his voice surprisingly calm against the backdrop of my seething anger.“She made an agreement, Steel. With a witch. How naive can one be?” I shot back out loud, frustration evident in my voice. My hands trembled on the wheel.“She said it wouldn’t be for another three years,” Steel reminded me, trying to find a glimmer of hope in the situation. “We have time to plan, strategize. We can outwit the witch. I don’t think her decision was as naive as you think.”“That’s not the point,” I retorted, my voice thick with emotion. The windshield wipers cleared the light drizz
The plush pillow felt cool against my cheek as I stirred from my fitful slumber. Sunlight seeped through the sheer curtains covering the windows, illuminating the tiny dust particles dancing in the air. My body ached from the awkward position, my hair a tangled mess from hours of restless tossing and turning.Somehow, I had managed to fall asleep last night, but just barely. I hardly felt as though I slept at all without Nathan by my side, and I knew that I would be paying for it later.“Nathan?” I croaked out, my voice barely above a whisper. I hoped beyond hope that he had decided to return home at some point during the night, but I knew that that wasn’t true. I would have heard him come home in my half-asleep, half-delirious state.The empty echo of the room provided a bleak answer, but the soft cries of the babies from the adjacent room added to the urgency of my life. It was a cruel irony that they were oblivious to the turmoil our family was in.But I preferred it that way, and
I couldn’t bear to watch Nathan walk away again. Not now.“Erm… Sorry, Martha?” I said, turning to face the woman beside me. “Would you mind keeping an eye on the stroller for two minutes? I just need to talk to Nathan.”“Of course,” Martha said, oblivious to my strife. “It’s no problem at all.”“Thank you.”With a deep breath, I followed Nathan’s fading form across the park and toward an alleyway. “Nathan!” I called out, rushing after him as he quickly walked away, his figure growing smaller in the distance. “Nathan, wait!”But he didn’t stop. He didn’t even look back. Every step he took was another twist of the knife in my already aching heart.The sun had long since passed its zenith, casting the cobblestone streets in a soft, orange light. But despite its warmth, it did absolutely nothing to ease the cold dread seeping through me. Up ahead, I saw Nathan round a corner to the Council building, and I followed him, beginning to catch up with his long strides.“I’m sorry,” I shouted,
The sting of Olivia’s words echoed in my ears as I stormed away, every step heavy with the weight of her accusation.“She isn’t even your real daughter, Nathan.” Those words had cut deeper than any wound I’d ever felt.We had agreed, hadn’t we? From the moment those twins had been born, they were ours, regardless of blood. I had put my heart and soul into caring for them as if they were my own flesh and blood. And now Olivia had cast doubt on that bond.The town’s dilapidated streets and ruined buildings became a blur as my thoughts spiraled.Did Olivia's transformation into the Ancient Wolf alter her perception of our family? Or was it the weight of exhaustion and stress taking its toll on her? I wanted answers, but the exhaustion gnawing at the edges of my own mind told me that now wasn’t the time. I needed to breathe, to think, to work.As I approached the Council building, my mind shifted to more immediate matters: rebuilding the town and fortifying our defenses. The loss of the
I watched the sun dip below the horizon, casting a deep, vibrant orange hue across the sky.A week had passed since Nathan had chosen to stay at the cabins, and every sunset that went by without him being home seemed to amplify the growing chasm between us.“Olivia,” Angela’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “You’ve been staring at that horizon for the past half hour. Come sit down.”Reluctantly, I turned away and joined her on the porch. “I’m sorry. I can’t help it,” I admitted. "”It’s been a week, Angie. I thought we’d have sorted things out by now.”She gave a gentle smile, placing a reassuring hand on mine. “Don’t worry too much about Nathan. You two are fated mates, remember? Things will work out. Besides, he’s a man. They’re not exactly known for having the most… sophisticated emotional control.”The mention of our bond—and Angela’s light humor—should’ve provided comfort, but instead, it stung. “But it’s not just about us,” I muttered. “It’s about the witch, finding out a way t
“Oh, really?” I asked, my mouth spitting fire at Nathan. “But you’re ready to invite your ex back to town?”There were several long moments of silence that hung heavily between us. The air was so thick and palpable you could cut it with a knife, and for a moment, I half expected Nathan to turn on his heel and storm off.“Olivia…” he began, his voice low. I could tell he was trying to keep the edge out of it.I tilted my chin up, tossing a lock of blonde hair over my shoulder in defiance. “Go on. Tell me it isn’t true. Enlighten me.”His jaw was set, a sign that he was trying to keep his emotions in check. “You act like I invited Layla back to the pack just for the heck of it,” he said quietly. “And it’s not true. You should know my intentions.”I raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to continue.“Look, she’s helping with the rebuilding of the library,” he explained with a soft sigh. “Her pack has copies of some invaluable documents they’re willing to donate. And I need her expertise
For a split second, I felt my heart stop. Nathan straightened, looking back at Layla.“How about that tour of the library?” he asked Layla, shooting me a momentary sideways glance as though trying to prove a point to me. “Like I promised.”Layla’s eyes shone with interest. “I thought we would go tomorrow,” she said, “but now is good, too. What do you say, Olivia?”I swallowed, nodding. “Sure.”As we walked toward the library, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia.The library had been our sanctuary, a place where Nathan and I had spent countless hours reading when we were kids. Almost every weekend, we would head to the library and leave with a new stack of books to read.But now, the sight of its burnt sections and the ongoing construction was a tangible reminder of our vulnerability.Layla looked around, observing the expert builders that Nathan had hired hard at work. They were meticulously crafting, replicating the once magnificent wooden carvings and detailed masonry. It
OliviaI gripped the edges of the podium, my knuckles whitening from the strain as I stared out over the sea of faces. All eyes were trained squarely on me, awaiting my words. But I was frozen.A tremor of nausea wormed its way up my throat as I stared out at them. What was I thinking—how could I have ever agreed to this? Speaking to crowds had never been my forte; that was Nathan’s arena, not mine. I was just the woman behind the scenes, the young mom who had never gone to college, the one who had been handed her job by her husband…Suddenly, a flicker of motion off to the side caught my eye—Nathan, standing just at the edge of the stage with his arms folded across his chest. Even from this distance, I could feel the weight of his steady gaze, that piercing Alpha stare that always seemed to see straight into the depths of my soul.He must have sensed my faltering because, slowly, deliberately, he offered me the faintest of smiles and a single, reassuring nod.And just like that, the
Olivia I looped my arm through Nathan’s as we stepped down from the podium, the applause from the crowd and the flashing of cameras having finally subsided after what felt like an eternity. “It’s over,” Nathan beamed, giving my arm a squeeze. “That wasn’t so bad.” I couldn’t help but grin back at him. “No, it wasn’t. You were great up there.” And he really had been great; the press conference had been an overwhelming success—any lingering doubts or trepidation we had harbored before had been utterly blown away by the sheer force of the crowd’s enthusiastic response. For so long, it had felt like we were fighting this battle alone, like the victims who had suffered under Dan’s horrific operation were little more than nameless, faceless casualties. But today, we had finally given them a voice. Their stories had reached the masses, had resonated and struck a chord with everyone who watched. Nathan had handled all of the questions that were thrown his way with poise and ease
OliviaI rapped my knuckles lightly on the door to Nathan’s office. A moment later, his voice called out, “Come in.”Stepping into the room, I placed my hands on my hips upon seeing the scene in front of me: Nathan was standing in front of the mirror, his shirt still untucked and his tie loosened. His desk was a mess of papers and folders, and it was clear that he had been checking over his notes last-minute before the press conference.
OliviaI wiped a bead of sweat from my brow, slowly turning to survey the progress that had been made in the park. The banners we had hung were a bold purple color, signifying our support of the women who had been affected by the trafficking ring.I couldn’t help but smile a bit as I looked at our progress. With the press conference today, followed by a festival to help raise funds for the shelter we were building, the park was bustling with activity as our pack members worked hard
NathanI leaned back in my chair with a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose in a futile attempt to stave off the encroaching headache. Spread out on my desk was an array of file folders, legal pads scrawled with notes, and printed transcripts—a minefield of information that would need to be carefully navigated on the day of the upcoming press conference.It had been two weeks since Dan and Montgomery’s bodies were found in the confinement pit, and it had been a dizzyin
OliviaMy hands shook uncontrollably as I stepped up to the edge of the pit, clutching the metal grating until my knuckles turned white. A thick, cloying stench wafted up from the darkness below—the unmistakable reek of death and decay.Despite the waves of nausea already roiling in my gut, I leaned forward for a closer look.
OliviaThe air coming through the open windows smelled like the fresh sea breeze as we made our way from room to room, touring every nook and cranny of the newly completed cottage. It was perfect—cozy and quaint, while still boasting all the modern amenities one could want. But more than that, it was a sanctuary, a haven.A fresh start.
OliviaThe sound of power tools outside streamed in through the window while I folded the laundry, a distant backdrop to my swirling thoughts. I had grown used to the sound, and actually kind of enjoyed it. It was a reminder that life went on, that our family was growing.It had been a couple of weeks since I had made the decision to take a temporary leave from work in order to really focus on my family—on rebuilding that long-severed bond with my mother—and I was glad I did.
NathanI couldn’t stop the rage from simmering just beneath the surface as I made my way through the darkened forest toward the confinement pit. No one knew I was here—I was coming under the cover of night, my hair and face concealed by a hood.But I had to come. I couldn’t stop thinking about Dan and Montgomery, and I needed to see them.